The 2023–24 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball season was the season for Sun Belt Conference men's basketball teams that began with practices in October 2023, followed by the start of the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. Conference play began in December 2023, and concluded on March 2, 2024. The 2024 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament took place from March 5–11, 2024, at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida.
Head coaches Coaching changes Arkansas State On March 22, 2023, former Alabama assistant coach Bryan Hodgson was named the new head coach of the Red Wolves.
Coastal Carolina Head coach Cliff Ellis retired on December 6, 2023, after 17 seasons with the Chanticleers. Assistant coach Benny Moss was named interim head coach for the rest of the season.
Georgia Southern After head coach Brian Burg left to coach Ole Miss, on March 14, 2023, former Alabama assistant coach Charlie Henry was named head coach.
Old Dominion Jeff Jones resigned after the ninth game of the season following a heart attack he had on December 20, 2023. Special assistant coach Kieran Donohue was named interim head coach for the rest of the season. Jones retired from coaching on February 26, 2024.
Coaches TeamHead coachPrevious jobYears at schoolOverall recordSun Belt recordSun Belt titlesSun Belt Tournament titlesNCAA TournamentsAppalachian StateDustin KernsPresbyterian5111Arkansas StateBryan HodgsonAlabama 1000Coastal CarolinaCliff EllisAuburn15002Benny Moss (interim)Coastal Carolina 13000Georgia SouthernCharlie HenryAlabama 1000Georgia StateJonas HayesXavier 2000James MadisonMark ByingtonGeorgia Southern4011LouisianaBob MarlinSam Houston14111Louisiana–MonroeKeith RichardLSU 14000MarshallDan D'AntoniLos Angeles Lakers 10001Old Dominion Jeff JonesAmerican11001Kieran Donohue (interim)Old Dominion 11000South AlabamaRichie RileyNicholls State6000Southern MissJay LadnerSoutheastern Louisiana5000Texas StateTerrence JohnsonTexas State 4200TroyScott CrossTCU 5000
Preseason Preseason Coaches Poll On October 16, 2023, the conference announced a preseason conference poll as voted on by the league's 14 head coaches.
RankTeam 1. James Madison (7) 2. Appalachian State (2) 3. Old Dominion (1) 4. Southern Miss 5. Louisiana (2) 6. South Alabama (2) 7. Marshall 8. Troy 9. Arkansas State 10. Texas State 11. Georgia State 12. Coastal Carolina 13. Georgia Southern 14. Louisiana–Monore
Preseason Awards The conference also announced preseason All-SBC teams.
Sun Belt preseason player of the year Austin Crowley – Southern Miss
Preseason All-Sun Belt teams 2023-24 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Teams First Team Second Team Third TeamAustin Crowley – Southern Miss Terrence Edwards Jr. – JMU Donovan Gregory – Appalachian State Chaunce Jenkins – Old Dominion Christyon Eugene – Troy Themus Fulks – LouisianaTyrell Jones – South Alabama Kamdyn Curfman – Marshall Tyreke Locure – Louisiana–Monroe Dwan Odom – Georgia State Obinna Anochili-Killen – MarshallTerrance Ford Jr. – Arkansas State Brenden Tucker – Georgia State C. J. Huntley – Appalachian State Freddy Hicks – Arkansas State Aamer Muhammad – Troy
Regular season Early season tournaments Team Tournament FinishAppalachian State Fort Myers Tip-Off 1st (Palms Division) Arkansas State Acrisure Invitational 3rdCoastal Carolina Myrtle Beach Invitational 8thGeorgia Southern TowneBank Holiday Classic 4thGeorgia State Capitol Challenge 3rdJames Madison Cancún Challenge 1st (Rivera Division)Louisiana Gulf Coast Showcase 5thMarshall Cayman Islands Classic 6thOld Dominion Diamond Head Classic 6thSouth Alabama Jaguar Classic 1stSouthern Miss Jacksonville Classic 4thTexas State Louisiana Tech MTE –Troy Trojan Classic 1st
Player of the week WeekPlayer(s) of the WeekSchoolNov 13Terrence Edwards Jr.James MadisonNov 20Freddy HicksArkansas StateNov 27Kobe JulienLouisiana Dec 4Kobe Julien (2)Louisiana Dec 11T. J. BickerstaffJames MadisonDec 18Jordan MasonTexas StateDec 25Terrence Edwards Jr. (2)James MadisonJan 1T. J. Bickerstaff (2)James MadisonJan 8André CurbeloSouthern MissJan 15Caleb FieldsArkansas StateJan 22Tre'Von SpillersAppalachian StateJan 29Nate Martin MarshallFeb 5Caleb Fields (2)Arkansas StateFeb 12Victor IwuakorSouthern MissFeb 19Terrence Edwards Jr. (3)James Madison Feb 26Samuel TabeSouth Alabama March 4Tyren MooreGeorgia Southern
Records against other conferences +Power 6 Conferences Conference RecordACC1–1Big East0–0Big Ten1–4Big 120–6Pac–120–2SEC1–7 Combined 3–20Other NCAA Division I ConferencesRecordAmerica East0–0American4–5ASUN5–7Atlantic 100–3Big Sky0–0Big South5–2Big West1–1CAA3–7Conference USA2–6Horizon2–2Independents/Non-Division I0–0Ivy0–1MAAC0–0MAC16–12MEAC3–1Missouri Valley2–2Mountain West1–1Northeast0–0OVC4–2Patriot0–0Southern3–4Southland2–5SWAC5–0Summit1–1West Coast0–2WAC2–0 Combined 61–64
Postseason Sun Belt tournament
* – Denotes overtime period
NCAA tournament
Seed Region School First Four 1st round 2nd round 12 South James Madison Bye W 72–61 #5 Wisconsin – (Brooklyn, NY) L 55–93 #4 Duke – Brooklyn, NY) W–L (%): Total:
National Invitation Tournament
Seed Bracket School 1st round Wake Forest Appalachian State L 76–87 #1 Wake Forest – (Winston-Salem, NC)W–L (%): Total:
College Basketball Invitational
Seed School 1st round Quarterfinals Semifinals 4 Arkansas State W 86–85 #13 Bethune–Cookman – (Daytona Beach, FL) W 74–61 #4 Montana – (Daytona Beach, FL) L 80–81 #1 High Point – (Daytona Beach, FL)W–L (%): Total:
Honors and awards Sun Belt Awards
2023-24 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Individual Awards Award Recipient(s)Player of the Year Terrence Edwards Jr. – James MadisonCoach of the Year Dustin Kerns – Appalachian State Defensive Player of the Year Justin Abson - Appalachian StateNewcomer of the Year T. J. Bickerstaff – James MadisonFreshman of the Year Myles Rigsby – Troy Sixth Man Award Tayton Conerway – Troy
2023-24 Sun Belt Men's Basketball All-Conference Teams First Team Second Team Third TeamTerrence Edwards Jr. - James Madison Christyon Eugene – Troy Caleb Fields – Arkansas State Donovan Gregory – Appalachian State Tre'Von Spillers – Appalachian StateT. J. Bickerstaff – James Madison Austin Crowley – Southern Miss Chaunce Jenkins – Old Dominion Kobe Julien – Louisiana Tyren Moore — Georgia SouthernJoe Charles – Louisiana Noah Freidel – James Madison Terence Harcum – Appalachian State Hosana Kitenge – Louisiana Nika Metskhvarishvili – Louisiana–Monroe John Ojiako – Coastal Carolina Taryn Todd – Arkansas State
References